I like being the guy who gets to the airport earlier than I need to. Or the person on the subway who gives up their seat for another person. These might feel small, but to me I’ve always felt it’s the little things that are really the big things. This is how I view both my work and life. Perhaps it comes from my empathetic grandfather or my degree in Sociology, these are things I think about and enjoy. And since we’re getting to know each other, here’s a few more.

Speaking Engagements

FITC

OTA

Code 2040 Tech Trek

Creative Mornings

SD Interactive Day

NYU

SXSW

Social Media Week

Ignite

Pecha Kucha

Columbia University

Camp

“Your talk was so inspiring. I really, really related. A LOT.” Receiving feedback like this is what it’s all about. I’m a big fan of sharing all the ups and downs of my journey in the hopes it motivates and inspires others. Want to book me for an upcoming event or podcast? I promise it’ll be full of passion, energy, and sweet visuals.

Author

I Swear To Good You Are God At This

(Self-published, 2008)

Frustrated with all the negativity in the world I locked myself in a hotel room for three days and wrote a book. Titled, "I Swear To Good You Are God At This" the book is 72-pages of creative inspiration and features 25 people, projects and ideas from around the world. My goal was to inspire those who might need an extra push to invest in themselves or do what they love. I printed 20,000 copies and sold all but 10.

Investor

The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club

With ten full-sized shuffleboard courts, retiree cocktails, live music & a rotating cast of food trucks, I'm thrilled to be an investor in The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club. It keeps Brooklyn tropical all year long.

Better Looking Records

(Independent Record Label)

Better Looking Records is an independent record company I co-founded in 2000 with Paul Fischer, former KXLU DJ. We've had the pleasure of releasing music we love from artists such as The Good Life, Jimmy Eat World, The Jealous Sound, Goldrush, No Knife, The Electric Soft Parade, Boilermaker, The Album Leaf, Cursive, Tristeza, Track Star, The Gloria Record and more. In addition to the record company, we established a music publishing arm to license music for television, film and advertising campaigns, including Grey's Anatomy, CSI, Californication, The OC, Chuck, Jeep, Hummer, Cadillac and many more. As a team of two, Paul and I were involved in every aspect of operations, marketing, distribution, publicity, finance, research and development. It's been an amazing ride, even when bands call at 3am broken down in the middle of El Paso in need of a wire-transfer.

Content

Five Minutes With Kumar

Five Minutes With Kumar is a web series about my good friend, Kumar Pallana. He was an eccentric dude with a back-story that was equal parts compelling and inspiring. With Kumar, one minute you are laughing out loud and the next you feel your heart beating on par with his unparalleled wisdom. The day before shooting, NBC called me saying they laid off the entire department that was funding our series. I wound up using my credit card to finance the project and am forever grateful for the time I spent with this amazing human.

This is Charlotte King

This Is Charlotte King is a short film about an overly efficient meteorologist who believes she can help people through her noble heart and love for the atmosphere. Her adventures are driven through a quirky mix of dialogue, cinematography, music and beautiful compositions throughout San Diego, California. Written, directed and produced by my pal Jeffrey and I, the film was financed by Ford Motor Co and won best picture at the San Diego Film Festival.

The Album Leaf

For nearly eight years I was the band manager for The Album Leaf. We toured around the globe, licensed music to television shows and advertising campaigns, signed to various record labels and built an ever-growing fanbase. One of my favorite moments was documenting The Album Leaf recording at Sigur Ros’ home-studio in Iceland. To this day, that record remains one of my all-time favorites on Sub Pop Records.

Punk Rock

This was my punk rock band, Thirsty. From late high school to early college we toured around the country in a beat-up van, sold more zines and t-shirts than records (or cassettes) and ate way too much Taco Bell. We were awesome. At least we thought so.

Playlist

Leaders who don't have time to read are leaders who don't make time to learn. Not me, I’m obsessed with staying connected. It keeps me fresh, like a pair of Nike’s size 10 1/2. Fire up that motivation and tell me what’s good in your world.